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"Hotel Palmyra is a story to be told. A story of a place and the people who visited."

A Historic Gateway to Baalbeck's Rich Heritage

It begins in 1874, Perikili Mimikakis, a Greek man from Constantinople, came to Baalbeck to build a Hotel. The idea came to him after watching the caravans passing through on their way to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. They would always stop in Baalbeck and marvel at the magnificent temples regarded as one of the wonders of the ancient world. The first Hotel in the Near East, Palmyra stands today as a history-filled establishment that helps tell the story of Baalbeck’s history and culture through the eyes of travellers, from all over the world and walks of life, who have left their imprint on the walls and expressed their emotions in several volumes of the Livre d’Or (the Hotel Registry) that dates back to 1889. The architecture of the building, the Greek and Roman artifacts within its walls, the vast collection of contemporary art work, the faded Persian carpets, and most of all the pictures of those who stayed.

Unveiling the Tales of Palmyra's Illustrious Guests

The Gold Book (Le Livre d’Or as it’s known among visitors) , as it is called, is a tale told by so many story tellers. It is a tale of the history of region, of the temples from different perspectives all told from the vantage point provided by Palmyra. Reading the lines of travellers over the years, Palmyra and the temples merge into a symbiotic entity that validates the need to preserve the Hotel as a museum of the people who came, who are still coming and will keep coming. The German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, Charles de Gaulle, Jean Cocteau, The American Colony in 1910, JP Morgan, Emma Rockefeller, Bob Wilson, Joan Baez, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Laurence of Arabia, Mark Sykes and Francois George-Picot (the eponymous generals of the agreement that changed the history of the region), are some of the names that stayed at the Hotel.

Preserving the Cultural Soul of Baalbek

A place where you step into the past, one of faded splendor that is unrepeatable but should be preserved because of its role in preserving the intangible cultural heritage of the region. It is an institution that reflects the expectations of a changing world concerning the role of museums. Palmyra aspires to be a museum of narratives woven by the travellers of the world and of how humanity has survived in its environment over the years. It houses authentic objects created by nature and man in a well told narrative. It is the cultural soul of Baalbek and the custodian of its local heritage, and one could argue of the whole Middle East.

Catalyst for Cultural Change

In post conflict Lebanon, museums are important institutions as agents of change. In their modern concept, museums help promote unity in the society and use their resources to ensure understanding and appreciation for various groups and cultures that exist in the society. Palmyra today, offers it grounds to various cultural groups to meet and hold their events. The French Cultural Center, Beirut International Film Festival (BAFF), Baalbeck Cultural Group, Baalbeck Municipality, Youth Reading Club, Baalbeck Youth Theater Workshops among others. All find in the Hotel a welcome that encourages cultural programs.

Bridging Heritage and Art for Social Development

The Hotel holds a permanent exhibition of Jean Cocteau’s paintings and offers various local artists the chance to exhibit. It is also an Artist Residency and has hosted 20 international artists working for Baaaleck International Symposium. As an institution, Palmyra’s goal is to raise awareness and educate through its unique position as custodian of heritage. It plays the new role of museum in the world today, one different than the elitist and aloof traditional role that is still practiced by some cultural institutions in Lebanon. Museums must become partners in development, mirror events in society and become instruments of progress by calling to actions and events that will encourage development in society Palmyra is trying to promote more openness, pragmatism and collective involvement which is essential in developing the community in an area that has been historically marginalized from the rest of the country.